A smile lit the band director’s face. “I’ve got something I need to say, and I can’t think of a finer time or place to say it.”
At this, the room grew completely silent.
He extended his hand in Lilly’s direction and asked her to join him in front of the band, which she did. Her eyes sparkled with excitement.
Gordy took her hand, gazing into her eyes. “Lilly, the boys and I have planned something special just for you.”
“O-oh?”
“Yes.” His cheeks turned red. “We’ve been so busy playing tonight that I didn’t have an opportunity to ask you to dance. So I’m doing that now. Will you dance with me, Lilly?”
“Well, sure, Gordy.” Her cheeks turned pink as she took his arm, and they made their way to the dance floor. The band began a slow melody. Gordy wasn’t the dancer Sal was, but he wasn’t half bad either. And with Lilly in his arms, he looked completely happy. The first few measures of the song drifted by, the melody strangely familiar. Odd. Didn’t sound like a big-band tune. Sounded more like … what was that? Oh yes. A slightly jazzed-up version of “Could I Have This Dance for the Rest of My Life?”
Wait a minute …
My breath caught in my throat as I realized what we were watching. It didn’t take Lilly long to realize it either. She halted, looking more than a little startled. At this point, Gordy knelt on one knee—not an easy task at his age—and took her hand. Her other hand flew up to her mouth, and she gasped. The band took this as the cue to lower their volume. Likely they wanted to hear this as much as the rest of us did.
Joey immediately reached for his camera. I had a feeling Lilly would be thanking him later.
“Lilly, I have something to ask you.” Gordy’s eyes twinkled. “Something I should’ve asked a long time ago. I would have too, but I’m an old fool.”
“Oh no you’re not,” she said, putting her free hand on her hip and gazing into his eyes. “There’s nothing foolish about you, Gordy.”
“I’m asking you to marry me, Lilly.” His eyes filled with tears, and Mama reached for a tissue—not for Gordy, but herself. And me. And Aunt Bianca.
The song reached its crescendo, and Gordy reached into his pocket, coming out with a small box. The ring inside must’ve been a real dazzler because Lilly took to squealing, which got all of us tickled. Seconds later, the ring was on her finger and Gordy was on his feet with his fiancée in his arms.
At this point, Twila, Bonnie Sue, and Jolene emerged from the restroom wearing their Where’s the Beef? T-shirts. Bonnie Sue took one look at the couple in the middle of the dance floor and gasped. “What did we miss?”
“Everything!” Mama said, dabbing at her eyes. “We’re having a baby girl … and Gordy just proposed to Lilly!”
“Wait. You’re having a baby?” Bonnie Sue gave my mother a look of true disbelief.
“No, silly. Marcella. She’s having a girl.”
“And Gordy asked Lilly to marry him,” I repeated.
“We missed all the good stuff.” Jolene pouted. “Do you think they’d do a repeat, just for us?”
“I don’t think it would have the same punch,” I said, “but Joey took pictures, and I’m sure he’d be happy to show them to you.”
The ladies gathered around my brother and his camera, vying for a look at what they’d missed.
“It figures I’d miss something this big while I’m in the john,” Bonnie Sue said with a pout. “Flush the toilet once, and look what happens!”
“You’re not the only one who missed it.” I swept the room with a glance, still looking for Sophia and Tony. My baby sister had missed the big moment too. I turned back to the ladies with a sigh. “Haven’t seen my sister in a while.”
“Oh, we saw her with that handsome hunk-a-boy, Tony,” Jolene said. “I noticed them walking out to the gazebo just as we hit the restroom to change clothes. They had stars in their eyes.”
As if to ditto her words, Sophia and Tony rushed into the room, their faces lit with joy. My sister approached Mama and Pop, babbling a hundred miles an hour. I could hardly make sense of her words. Only when she extended her left hand to show off the mega-diamond did it hit me.
Tony had proposed.
20
Jingle Jangle
I call it the white zone—that place you slip into when you’re in shock. The room starts spinning, and you wonder if perhaps you’re dreaming. The moment I saw that monstrous ring on my little sister’s finger, I slipped off into the white zone. Surely this couldn’t be happening. Not … not now!
My sister’s squeals brought me out of my fog, and I leaned forward to take another look. Yep. It was a ring, all right. At least a two-karat, marquise setting, white gold. A real dazzler, no doubt about it. Tony always did know how to shop. I had to give him that. He’d probably spent a fortune on this little number. He stood alongside Sophia, a crooked grin on his face, clearly happy with both the attention and the woman on his arm.
My sister dove into the story of how he had proposed in the gazebo. I could read the excitement in her eyes, her voice, and her stance. I’d seen Sophia happy before, of course. There was that time in tenth grade when she’d made the cheerleading squad. And then there was the time about a year ago when she discovered a local dermatologist was offering a special on tattooed eyeliner. That had really been cause for celebration. But nothing—repeat, nothing—could top the look of wonder in her eyes at this very moment.
Mama reacted swiftly and surely, erupting into tears. She threw her arms around Tony and welcomed him to the family. Ironic. She’d always known he was going to be her son-in-law someday. Hadn’t I heard as much hundreds of times over in the three years when Tony was dating me? Turned out he did have the right address after all. And he’d finally come to his senses, landing the right girl.
Everyone gathered around the couple, offering well wishes. Pop, clearly thrilled, hollered out his feelings for all to hear. “Tonight the news is all good!” He slapped Tony on the back— a little too hard, which sent the poor guy jolting a couple of feet forward. “Welcome to the family, Son!” Pop hollered.
Gordy and Lilly, consummate pros that they were, headed back up to the stage, and the band lit into a celebratory tarantella once again. The family gathered around, pressing Sophia and Tony to the middle of the group, and danced in a circle around them, tears flowing like wine.
Mine flowed too, but for a completely different reason. Sure, I was thrilled for Sophia and Tony. Who wouldn’t be? The news was all good, just like Pop said. But it was ill-timed at best. Lord, what happened to my wedding? Is it going to get lost in the chaos of everyone else’s good news?
Just as quickly, I chided myself. If anyone deserved to fall in love, it was my precious younger sister.
When the dance ended, congratulations poured forth. Nick lifted a glass and offered a toast to the happy couples. We all joined in with a vibrant, “Salude!”
Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of Emilio, who looked like he might cry at any second. I’d never figured him to be the emotional sort, but he just might prove me wrong. He headed to the microphone and lifted his glass. I raised mine again, sure he was about to toast the happy couples. Instead, he floored me with his words.
“I am so happy to be here with my family on this special night.” Emilio’s voice cracked on the word night, and I gave him an encouraging smile. “Francesca and I have had a wonderful time here, and we are so delighted to share our news.”
Your news? My mind reeled. I turned to look at Francesca, who beamed, her eyes now filled with tears.
“Francesca told me this morning that I am going to be a papa!”
For a second, no one moved. Then D.J.—God bless him— lifted his glass and hollered, “To the newest Rossi!”
We all echoed, “To the newest Rossi,” then the stampede began. Mama, Bianca, Bertina, Sophia, and I rushed Francesca, whose eyes were filled with tears. At this point, Emilio was a blubbering mess.
“How did you fin
d out?” Mama asked Francesca. “Tell me everything.”
“I suspected as much on the plane ride from Napoli,” she said. “I spent half of the flight in the restroom feeling sick to my stomach. But I wasn’t sure. Yesterday Marcella brought me one of those little …” She spoke a few words in Italian, which Mama translated.
“Home pregnancy tests?”
“Yes.” Francesca nodded. “I took the test this morning and showed it to Emilio. He was so happy.” A lone tear made its way down her cheek. “And I am so happy too! I have wanted to be a mama for years!”
“This is wonderful news!” Bertina said. “And you must let us host a shower once our new wedding facility is built. What a party we will have!”
“I must apologize,” Francesca said with a sigh. “I have not been myself this week. I’ve been having …” She shifted into Italian again, but I got the gist of it. Morning sickness. Turned out she’d been sick all week. What we’d taken for standoffishness was really morning sickness. Who knew?
The congratulations continued for a good long while. I’d never seen so many happy people. Nick and Marcella. Gordy and Lilly. Sophia and Tony. Emilio and Francesca. The Rossi clan was in celebration overload.
After a few more toasts, Sophia headed my way with tears in her eyes. “Oh, Bella! Can you believe it? I’m engaged!”
“I’ll admit, I’m surprised.” I took her hand and gave it a squeeze. “But probably not as surprised as you are. Did you expect it?”
“No.” She giggled. “He caught me completely off guard.” She leaned in to whisper, “Oh, but if you could have heard the things he said just before he proposed. No one has ever said such sweet things to me before. He’s the one, Bella. I don’t know what took me so long to figure it out!”
Possibly the fact that he was dating your sister until seven months ago?
“I’m actually getting married.” Sophia’s look of bliss quickly shifted to one of terror. “Oh no!”
“What?”
“I’m getting married, and I don’t have a clue what I want my wedding to be like.” She sighed. “You’ve had yours planned since you were little, but me …” She shrugged. “I never really thought much about it.”
“Have you two discussed a date?”
“Not really.” She chewed her lip, finally looking at me with a shrug. “Summer?”
“Okay. Sounds good.” This idea settled well with me, since it gave me more time to focus on my own wedding first. “You’ve always been nuts about the beach. Have you ever given any thought to getting married there?”
“Oh, wow.” She grinned. “I have always loved the beach. Might be fun. I’ll have to talk to Tony, of course. He might have something else in mind. I don’t know.”
“Well, Rome wasn’t built in a day,” I reminded her. “And you don’t have to decide everything right away. Take a few days to enjoy being engaged. And remember, you’re not just planning for one day. You’re planning for a lifetime together.”
She reached over to give me a hug. “That’s why you’re the wedding coordinator, Bella. You always know just what to say. Me? I would botch everything up. I … I’m so glad I have you.” Her face lit into a smile. “And I’m so happy we’re going to be roommates! I’ll have you to myself night and day. We can work on my wedding together around the clock!”
Apparently my parents had already talked to her about sharing rooms. Wonderful. I stifled a groan and diverted my gaze. How in the world would I ever get my own wedding planned now? Her enthusiasm would surely keep me scattered for days—or even weeks—to come.
Stay calm, Bella. Let your sister have her moment. Remember how excited you were the night you got engaged. How excited you still are. I chided myself for any and all selfish thoughts.
“Oh, Bella …” Sophia reached to hug me, and I felt her shoulders heaving in and out as she began to cry. “I’m so happy. So completely, deliriously happy.”
At once she began to talk about her wedding. On and on she went, telling me about the colors, the food, the music, the bridesmaids’ dresses, and her gown. So much for not having given it a thought till now. Sounded like the girl had all sorts of ideas, most of them pretty grandiose. Maybe a little too grandiose for a beach theme.
I wanted to focus, I really did. But everything was running together in my head. My wedding. Hers. Lilly and Gordy’s engagement. Rosa and Laz’s ceremony.
I needed to rest. To lay my head on my pillow in my room and gather my thoughts. Perhaps then I could make sense of all this. After I cleaned up this reception hall, anyway.
Sophia went off on her merry way, chatting with the others about her big day. I went back to my work but was interrupted by a familiar voice. Lilly. I turned to face her, unable to hide my smile.
“Congratulations!” I gave her a hug.
“Bella, it looks like we have another wedding to plan! I’m so excited about my big day!”
“Well, of course!” I tried to collect my thoughts, but they wouldn’t cooperate.
“I was thinking of a fifties soda shop theme,” she said with a grin. “How does that sound? With all of the bells and whistles. Or rather, all of the sodas and cheeseburgers!” She laughed and then leaned in to whisper, “Gordy said cost was no object, so let’s do this up big. I want it to be the wedding of the century.”
Funny. I’d used the same words to describe my own wedding. The one that was rapidly slipping through my fingers.
“Can we go ahead and set a date?” Lilly asked. “That way I can start making plans.”
“Um, sure. What were you thinking?”
She pursed her lips, apparently deep in thought. “March would be good. In the little chapel. How many people does it seat?”
“A hundred and fifty. Maybe one seventy-five, but it’s a tight squeeze.”
“One fifty is great. We won’t have that many, anyway. Do you have your calendar?”
“Come with me to my office, and we’ll get this taken care of.” Though my feet ached and my brain reeled, I led the way into my office. Switching on the light, I gestured for Lilly to take a seat. I opened my calendar and thumbed through it, skipping right past my own wedding date in mid-February to the beginning of March.
“I have a Saturday evening available in mid-March,” I said. “Would that work?”
“Sounds lovely. A March bride.” She giggled. “I’m thinking about having the bridesmaids wear poodle skirts. What do you think of that idea? Fun, right? And when I say soda shop, I’m thinking of the real deal—we’ll have hot fudge sundaes and chocolate malts and hamburgers and—” She shook her head, tears filling her eyes. “Oh, Bella! It’s going to be so wonderful! I can hardly wait.”
“M-me either.” I braved a smile.
“We’ll decorate the room and have some of the guys in the band serve as soda jerks. They’ll be so cute, don’t you think?”
“I do.”
“And Gordy. Maybe I can talk him into wearing something fiftyish.” She giggled. “Oh, we’re gonna have so much fun!”
As she lit into a lengthy discussion about her plans, the door swung open and Norah entered. I looked up at my future sister-in-law, relieved for the interruption. I’d have to remember to thank her later.
“Bella! There you are.” Norah took a few steps into the room and then paused. “Oh, sorry. I interrupted your meeting.” “No.” With a wave of her hand, Lilly dismissed that idea and stood. “We were just wrapping up. I’ve worn Bella out with my ideas.”
“No, it’s fine.” I gave her what I hoped was a comforting smile.
Norah approached Lilly and gave her a hug. “Congratulations, Lilly. I’m so thrilled for you. Now we’re both engaged.”
“Oh, that’s right.” Lilly’s face lit up even more than before— if that was possible. “I totally forgot you and Joey are engaged. When is your big day?”
“Well, actually …” Norah paused and looked my way. “That’s what I wanted to talk to Bella about.”
Yikes!
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“Bella, I know you’ve been really busy,” Norah said.
“Yes.” I pushed my calendar aside and nodded. “But it’s all good.”
“Okay. Well, we haven’t really talked about this, but Joey and I have been engaged for a while now.” She paused. “I’m ready to start thinking ahead, and I want you to plan the wedding for me.” She smiled. “I want to have it here, of course.”
“Of course!” I grinned and reached for my calendar once again. “When?”
“Early spring? Will that give you enough time after your big day?’
“Why, that’s when Gordy and I are getting married too,” Lilly said, taking a seat once again. “How fun that we’re both getting married so close together.” She looked at me and smiled. “All three of us, I mean!”
“S-sure,” I managed. “Did you have a theme in mind, Norah, or were you planning to do a traditional wedding?”
She pursed her lips. “Hmm. Haven’t given that a lot of thought. I guess something with a Victorian garden party theme would be nice, since it’s springtime. And outdoors. Maybe in April?”
“April showers bring May flowers,” I reminded her. “You might want to shoot for May.” Hopefully she’d push this back a bit. Give me some breathing room.
“I’ll talk to Joey and we’ll decide. In the meantime, I’ll put my thoughts down on paper. Just wanted to let you know.”
“I think the Victorian theme will be so pretty, don’t you?” Lilly said. “I can just picture it now. For you, not me. I’m going a completely different direction.”
“Yes, I can see it now,” Norah said. “We’ll have those little cucumber sandwiches and scones and lemon curd and all sorts of yummy delights. An honest-to-goodness garden party. We can decorate the gazebo with flowers. It’s going to be so pretty.”
“Sounds amazing.” My stomach grumbled, and I realized that somehow, in the chaos of the night, I’d forgotten to eat. How did I manage that with the best food in the world at my disposal? Hmm. Maybe I could grab a sandwich when I got home. If I ever got home.
My discussion with Norah and Lilly ended a few minutes later. I’m pretty sure they noticed the constant yawning on my end. At any rate, Norah finally headed off to find Joey, and Lilly bounced out of the room, filled with zeal. I turned off the light in my office and sighed, completely exhausted— mind, body, and spirit.